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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. swing — to play on
  3. march — the month
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. swing — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pop — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. net — for catching
  12. march — the month
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pop — soda
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. branch — a division
  23. net — after costs
  24. march — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com